Twister coaster

A twister coaster is so named because its track twists and turns into itself. Because of all the turns, twister coasters can be built on relatively small plots of land. With all of the twists and curved track, they usually deliver lots of lateral G-forces that can slam passengers to-and-fro sideways. When riders are racing along a twister coaster, it may appear that they might not clear the structure when they enter it. This is known in the industry and among enthusiasts as a “head chopper.” (Lovely imagery, right?)

Examples of twister coasters include Thunderhead at Dollywood in Tennessee and Tremors at Silverwood in Idaho.

Out-and-back coaster

A popular type of wooden coaster is the out-and-back. As the name implies, the track takes passengers out to the halfway point, turns around, and heads back to the station. Because of their configurations, out-and-backs can take up a lot of real estate. They typically do not include many twists or turns, instead offering lots of hills that can deliver sweet pops of out-of-your-seat airtime. Variations include double out-and-back and triple out-and-back coasters.

Examples of out-and-back coasters include Shivering Timbers at Michigan’s Adventure, which travels a half-mile out and a half-mile back, and El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. Interestingly, El Toro, which was built by Intamin, uses prefabricated wooden track.

Cyclone

A specific type of twister coaster, cyclone coasters pay homage to the original Cyclone at Brooklyn’s Coney Island. Built in 1927, the Cyclone is among the most famous rides in the world. Deemed a National Historic Landmark, it is still operating to great acclaim. The famous ride actually features a steel structure. But it is considered a wooden coaster because of its traditional wooden coaster track. All other cyclone coasters reproduce the original’s layout.

There used to be a number of cyclone coasters, including Psyclone at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California. Three remain today, including Viper at Six Flags Great America near Chicago.

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Figure Eight

In the early 1900s, when coasters first became popular, figure eight track layouts were quite prominent. In fact, many coasters were (unimaginatively) named "Figure 8.” As you might imagine, their layouts trace a figure-eight pattern.

There are still plenty of steel figure eight coasters, but the only remaining woodie that’s still operating is Swamp Fox at Family Kingdom in South Carolina.

Twin coaster

Twin coasters have two tracks and typically dispatch two trains at the same time that “race” one another. They are also known as racing coasters. The two tracks are usually mirror images, and they generally follow the same course alongside one another for most of the ride. A close cousin of the twin coaster is the Möbius coaster, which features two trains on what appears to be two tracks, but is actually one continuous loop of track. Racer at Kennywood in Pennsylvania is a (wonderful!) classic Möbius coaster.

Examples of wooden twin coasters include The Racer at Kings Island in Ohio and Racer 75 at Kings Dominion in Virginia.

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Topper Track coasters

The coaster types listed above all focus on track layouts. For this category of wooden coaster, we turn to the track itself. Nearly all wooden coaster tracks incorporate a stack of wooden track pieces with a thin steel rail embedded in the top layer onto which the trains’ wheels run. In 2013, the innovative ride manufacturer Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) introduced Topper Track. Its coasters feature a thick band of steel rail that completely covers the entire wooden stack. The more robust track allows the coasters to go higher and faster while remaining comparatively smooth. It also allows them to include inversions that turn passengers upside down, which was novel for modern-day wooden coasters when the first Topper Track coaster, Outlaw Run at Silver Dollar City in Missouri, opened.

There are three other Topper Track coasters operating, including Goliath at Six Flags Great America in Illinois, Wildfire at Kolmården in Sweden, and Lightning Rod at Dollywood. Lighting Rod had much of its Topper Track replaced in 2021 with I-Box track (see hybrid wooden and steel below).

Bobsled

Bobsled coasters also focus on the track. Specifically, they do not include any rails, but instead use a trough through which trains race, much like a bobsled. Wooden bobsled coasters were popular in the first half of the 1900s. Today, there are a number of steel ones operating, but the only wooden bobsled coaster is the retro Flying Turns at Knoebels in Pennsylvania.

Hybrid wooden and steel

This one is a bit, um, off the rails. Technically, many consider hybrid wooden and steel coasters to be “steel” coasters, because their tracks are entirely steel. It’s tricky though. Another wild innovation by RMC, these coasters feature a wooden structure and a proprietary “I-Box” steel track. Most hybrid wooden and steel coasters start with the wooden structure of an aging, overly rough woodie, which RMC invariably transforms into incredibly smooth rides. Other ride manufacturers have developed their own hybrid concepts including Great Coasters International, which offers Titan Track.

A stellar example of a hybrid coaster is Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa in Florida.

Do you have a favorite kind of wooden coaster? Did I overlook any wooden coaster types?

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A surprising number of the rides have animal themes. Let’s start by diving underwater with barracudas at SeaWorld.

Barracuda Strike at SeaWorld San Antonio in Texas

The seventh roller coaster at SeaWorld San Antonio will be a family inverted ride from the Swiss manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard. It will climb 90 feet and send passengers on a journey in cars that are suspended beneath the tracks. There won’t be any inversions, but with a perky-ish top speed of 44 mph and a serpentine layout featuring banked turns, Barracuda Strike should have at least some teeth for adrenaline junkies while remaining accessible to a wide swath of riders. Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf’s Revenge, which opened last year at sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and Phoenix Rising, which debuted at Busch Gardens Tampa in 2024, are similar coasters that have garnered positive reviews. It might be nice to think that Barracuda Strike would actually plunge passengers underwater as depicted in the rendering above (perhaps with pre-dive signage imploring riders, “Take a deep breath!”), but alas, that’s just a marketing image to hype the ride.

NightFlight Expedition at Dollywood in Tennessee

Geared to a family audience with a height of about 30 feet and a top speed of 29 mph, NightFlight Expedition won’t be an extreme roller coaster. In fact, some (including the authoritative rcdb.com) don’t even consider the attraction to be a roller coaster at all. But the $50-million, indoor, highly anticipated, E-Ticket ride, which will incorporate both a roller coaster track and a water-filled flume, would seem to qualify to me. Whatever its designation, NightFlight Expedition surely looks like it will be a compelling addition to Dollywood and one of the 2026 park highlights.

Flying Fox at Kentucky Kingdom

Another suspended family coaster is on the way in 2026. Flying Fox will climb 65 feet and max out at 37 mph. The custom Vekoma coaster will use a booster wheel lift hill to get its trainload of passengers flying.

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Shootout and Unknown at Oasis Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri

Oasis Lake of the Ozarks is another delayed project, but construction is underway and developers say the new amusement park and parts of the resort will open fall 2026. Among its rides will be Shootout, a family boomerang coaster from Vekoma. Like similar rides, such as Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers at Kings Island, its train will head backwards out of the loading station using a tire lift system, and then release into a course that will include a 75-foot-tall spike. After dead-ending on the spike, Shootout will retrace its route backwards before returning to the station. The new park’s second coaster, which has yet to be named, will be a suspended family coaster like Flying Fox at Kentucky Kingdom.

Hot Wheels Bone Shaker: The Ultimate Ride at Mattel Adventure Park in Arizona

As I wrote when I included Hot Wheels Twin Mill Racer, the other coaster that’s supposed to open at Mattel Adventure Park, in my roundup of the ten most anticipated U.S. coasters for 2026, I am dubious whether the long-delayed toy-themed park will, in fact, finally open this year. If it does, however, passengers will get to climb 84 feet and navigate a 540-degree helix on the Chance family coaster, Hot Wheels Bone Shaker.

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Jurassic World: Cretaceous Coaster at Universal Kids Resort in Texas

As its name makes clear, Universal’s new park will be aimed squarely at kids, so don’t expect any major thrills. Jurassic World: Cretaceous Coaster will be similar to the modest Flight of the Hippogriff at Universal Studios Hollywood. The park’s other coaster, Rhonda’s Trollfest Express, will dial down the thrills even more.

Are any of these new rides (and new parks) on your radar for possible visits in 2026?

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Then along came Falcon’s Flight at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia, which annihilates all previous records.

With the flashy, new park, it would seem the coaster wars are heating up again; the theater of war, however, has shifted from America to the Middle East. Case in point: A few months ago, Miral, the company that operates Ferrari World, announced that the UAE park would be introducing a “significant and signature” coaster that will claim four world records. Might it challenge the records of Falcon’s Flight? Stay tuned, coaster fans.

I’ve already identified my picks for the top ten U.S. roller coasters debuting in 2026. Let’s keep the new ride rundown going by turning our attention to the ten most notable coasters coming to parks outside the U.S. No coaster is more notable than Falcon’s Flight. And some of Six Flags Qiddiya City’s other coasters are eye-popping as well.

Falcon’s Flight at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia

The new Six Flags park, part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s wildly ambitious plan to welcome international tourists and diversify its oil-dependent economy, actually opened its gates in 2025. But since the official opening was held last week on the very last day of the year, it’s fair game for the 2026 coaster countdown.

Falcon’s Flight so thoroughly trounces all previous coasters, its manufacturer, Intamin, has given it a new designation: “Exa Coaster.” Its magnetically launched trains ascend to a height of 640 feet…which is 184 freakin’ feet taller than Kingda Ka. It drops 519 feet and hits a ferocious top speed of 155 mph, leaving Formula Rossa in its dust. Just shy of 14,000 feet, it’s about 6,000 feet longer–that’s over a mile or 71% more track–than the next-longest ride, Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land in Japan. With stats like those, Falcon’s Flight seems less like an actual coaster and more like a you-gotta-be-kidding-me RollerCoaster Tycoon simulation. Check out this dramatic, pyro-enhanced video of the coaster, which was the highlight of the park’s grand opening ceremony. Then ask yourself whether you’d take flight on this ride.

Iron Rattler at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia

Another one of the new-generation Vekoma Tilt Coasters, Iron Rattler takes passengers onto a dead-end section of track that teeter-totters 90 degrees and then leaves them dangling for a few nerve-wracking moments before it releases the train to navigate the rest of the course. At a height of 208 feet, a top speed of 73 mph, and five inversions, Iron Rattler is considerably more intense than recently opened tilt coasters, Siren’s Curse at Cedar Point and Circuit Breaker at COTALAND.

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Spitfire at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia

In the figurative, if not literal shadow of Falcon’s Flight, Qiddiya City’s Spitfire may not be garnering much attention. But check out its mighty impressive stats: An Intamin swing launch coaster, it races forwards, ascends up a top hat tower part of the way, stalls out, and then accelerates backwards up its 240-foot-tall spike. After the train peters out, it drops forwards, engages the LSM motors a third time, and revs up to 79 mph, which gives it enough juice to make it up and over the 240-foot-tall top hat. Up to this point, Spitfire may sound like a mini version of Cedar Point’s Top Thrill 2. But it has more to offer. The train flips over and travels along the inside of the tower, making it the world’s tallest inversion and giving passengers one of the craziest upside-down coaster experiences ever devised.

Colossus at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia

The only wooden coaster at Qiddiya City, Colossus climbs 95 feet and accelerates to 50 mph. Built by Great Coasters International, it features Infinity Flyer trains.

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Tecuani Beast at BON Luxury Theme Park in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico

When BON Luxury Theme Park soft opens this year, adrenaline junkies will be heading to its most thrilling ride, Tecuani Beast. The Vekoma coaster will incorporate two launches and six inversions.

Ashara: Goddess of Fire at BON Luxury Theme Park in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico

Details are sparse, but judging by the rendering, this switchback mine coaster from Vekoma will include plenty of themed elements.

Drakon at Paultons Park in England

The most thrilling coaster at Paulton’s Park, Drakon will be a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter that will include a vertical lift that will climb 75 feet, a beyond-vertical first drop, and two inversions (a first for the kid-centric park), including a zero-G stall. The ride will be the featured attraction in Valgard: Realm of the Vikings, a new land.

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Zéphyr at Ange Michel in France

Another Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter, Zéphyr’s vertical lift will take passengers up 98 feet , drop them at at a beyond-vertical 97-degree angle, rev up to 53 mph and include three inversions.

Giant Revolution at Lotte World Adventure Busan in South Korea

Lotte World will welcome the first Double Heart coaster from Zamperla. Designed to pack a lot of thrills into a small space, the multi-launch ride will blast riders forwards, backwards, and forwards before making it up and over the first of its heart-shaped elements. It will then dive down and trace a second heart-shaped section of track that will include two inversions.

Kyûbi Unchained at Parc Spirou Provence in France

Also from Zamperla, Kyûbi Unchained will be a family thrill coaster that will use a tire-propelled launch to hit 47 mph and climb a 103-foot dead-end spike. It will then fall and offer some backwards-facing fun. The coaster will anchor a land themed to Naruto, an anime series about a young martial arts hero.

So, would you brave Flacon’s Flight if you had the opportunity? What is your impression of Six Flags Qiddiya City?

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3.75 (out of 5)

This review is based on my experience riding Joker at Six Flags New England in Massachusetts. But it applies to the 11 4D Free Spin coasters, manufactured by S&S Worldwide, that are operating around the world. They are all clones of one another. The rides are manufactured by S&S Worldwide. Seven of them are at other parks in the Six Flags chain. They all send passengers flipping and dropping for a disorienting and unusual, but engaging ride experience.

Outfitted in the DC villain’s trademark indigo and green colors, The Joker is a striking and strange sight on the midway. Its trains have four cars, each of which seats two riders. The cars are on either side of the tracks, or the “wings” of the coaster, and face one another. Passengers ascend a 120-foot vertical lift hill sitting upright. Then all hell breaks loose.

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Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift at Universal Studios Hollywood in California

It won’t be the first time that Universal has incorporated the mega Fast and Furious franchise into its parks, but it appears that they are finally going to stick the landing with Hollywood Drift. At 72 mph, it will be the fastest coaster at any Universal park and will surely make Dom Toretto proud. Designed and built by Intamin (which has crushed it for Universal with coasters such as Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure), it will feature ride vehicles that will look like Toretto’s 1970 Dodge Charger and will be able to rotate 360 degrees to simulate the barely-in-control, high-speed drifting that he and his F&F family can’t seem to get enough of. Taking advantage of the extreme elevation changes at the studios, the coaster will start on the park’s upper lot and wind over and around the very (very!) long Starway escalators that connect to its lower lot. In the U.S. race for 2026 coaster goodness, this would seem to be the ride to beat.

Tormenta Rampaging Run at Six Flags Over Texas

The world’s tallest (a dizzying 309 feet) and fastest (a hairy 87 mph) dive coaster is on its way to Texas, where everything is bigger. When the original Six Flags park welcomes Tormenta Rampaging Run to its midway next year, it will also shatter other records, including a 179-foot-tall vertical loop, the world’s tallest on any coaster. Park fans know the drill with dive coasters: Extra-wide, floorless cars climb a lift hill, dangle precariously over the edge of an abyss for a few heart-stopping moments, and then dive down a scream-worthy drop–in this case a 285-foot descent at a beyond-vertical 95 degrees. Other elements will include an obligatory Immelmann roll; at 218 feet tall, it will be the world’s highest.

Circuit Breaker at COTALAND in Texas

This one is a bit of a cheat. Circuit Breaker actually opened a few weeks ago, but it has only been available to ride as part of special events. It will officially debut with the rest of the park when COTALAND opens in 2026 (assuming it does; COTALAND has been delayed a number of times, but the Circuit of the Americas park looks to be, um, actually on track for next year.) It isn’t as tall or as fast as Siren’s Curse, which debuted at Cedar Point last year. But like that Vekoma Tilt Coaster, it sends a trainload of passengers onto a section of track that improbably teeters forward like a one-way seesaw until it’s angled at 90 degrees. It then connects with the rest of the track and releases the train and its passengers onto a course that includes four inversions.

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Palindrome at COTALAND in Texas

Long-time ATPers know that I’ve been touting Palindrome for a number of years, because it was supposed to open in 2023 (and then 2024 and 2025). The Circuit Breaker companion will be a Gerstlauer Shuttle Infinity Coaster that will climb 95 feet, drop at a beyond-vertical angle (a Gerstlauer staple), rev up to 51 mph, tackle two inversions, and come to a halt on a vertical spike. Palindrome will then roll backwards and repeat the course in reverse–hence, its name.

Unknown at Family Kingdom Amusement Park in South Carolina

The Myrtle Beach seaside park recently revealed that it would be opening a custom single-rail Raptor coaster next year. At 100 feet tall and with a top speed of 50 mph, it will likely be similar to Rocky Mountain Coasters’ single-rail prototype that it built for Six Flags Fiesta Texas (and that I had the honor of being the first to ride). Given Family Kingdom’s small footprint, the new attraction will probably be a compact ride and not have the more sprawling layout of Raptor coasters such as Wonder Woman Flight of Courage at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

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Hot Wheels Twin Mill Racer at Mattel Adventure Park in Arizona

Like COTALAND, Mattel Adventure Park was supposed to open in 2023, when COVID-19 still loomed large. And like the Texas park, it then announced that its turnstiles would start clicking every year after that. Will the toy-themed park actually welcome gusts in 2026? Beats me. But if it does, its featured coaster will be Hot Wheels Twin Mill Racer, which will launch from 0 to 50 mph, rise 116 feet, and deliver four inversions.

Quantum Accelerator at Six Flags New England in Massachusetts

Delayed from last year, the New England park is now set to debut Quantum Accelerator for the 2026 season. Passengers will straddle the seats on the motorbike-like ride vehicles and accelerate to 45 mph on the Intamin tire-launched coaster. Quantum Accelerator will feature both Old West and steampunk design influences.

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Galacticoaster at Legoland California and Legoland Florida

You may notice that there are nine entries on my 2026 top-ten most anticipated U.S. coasters list. That’s because Legoland will be opening two identical coasters, one each at its Florida and California parks. The indoor Galacticoasters will incorporate a space mission theme. Since this is Legoland, the rides themselves likely won’t be too thrilling (details and stats have not been released). Then again, Space Mountain at Florida’s Magic Kingdom maxes out at a surprisingly puny 27 mph. To be manufactured by ART Engineering of Germany, the coasters will probably be similar to Snoopy’s Racing Railway, which opened this year at Carowinds. That ride uses a tire launch system and hits 31 mph (take that Space Mountain). Expect some cute intergalactic themeing on the Legoland coasters.

Unknown at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California

Shrouded in mystery, Six Flags has only revealed that its newest ride (which will bring its coaster count to 20–more than any other park in the world) will be “a first-of-its-kind coaster in North America.” Rumor has it that Vekoma will be building a “Thrill Glider,” a new model that will combine motorbike-style cars with a suspended ride system. Unless this will be a themed indoor attraction built around flying motorbikes, the Thrill Glider concept makes no sense to me. The project has been delayed and may not open till late 2026 or some time in 2027.

Which 2026 U.S. coaster are you most anticipating?

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Maryland’s Six Flags America closed for the season–and for good–in early November. The suits at the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the mega-park chain that was formed when Six Flags and Cedar Fair merged last year, announced that the park was “not a strategic fit with the company’s long-term growth plan.” Translation: The property wasn’t generating the same kind of revenue as other parks in its portfolio, especially compared to the nearby Kings Dominion in Virginia, which is now under the same corporate umbrella.

I know that Six Flags America didn’t have the greatest reputation, but as late as last year, the former Six Flags management believed in the park enough to spiff up one its lands and introduce a new ride. That’s more than can be said for long-neglected parks such as Michigan’s Adventure and Frontier City in Oklahoma. While the fate of Six Flags America has been sealed, it remains to be seen what will become of its rides. I’ve long been a fan of the hypercoaster, Superman - Ride of Steel. While not as good as the stellar Superman the Ride at Six Flags New England, a similar coaster that was based on–and improved upon–the Maryland thrill machine, it was still wonderful. (Its clone, Ride of Steel, lives on at Six Flags Darien Lake in New York, another smallish park that may someday end up on the company’s not-a-strategic-fit chopping block.) But I really loved Wild One at Six Flags America and can’t help but think that this may be the end of an era for a truly historic ride. It would be a loss that would really hit home for me.

Regardless of their vintage, wooden roller coasters, with their timber lattices, clickety lift hills, and rickety rides, ooze nostalgia and evoke amusement parks of yore. Some actually have been thrilling trainloads of passengers for many years. A select few, however, are true antiques. Wild One, which was 108 years old when the park closed, was one such roller coaster.

Six Flags inherited the ride when it bought and rebranded the park in 1998. The property was previously known as Adventure World and Wild World before that. The D.C.-area amusement park first opened in 1982. So, how can a 108-year-old coaster be at a place that only dates back to the early 1980s? That’s because for 69 years prior to operating in Maryland, it was the featured attraction at a seaside amusement park in Massachusetts–the place that I call home.

The Giant Coaster, as it was originally known, opened in 1917 at Paragon Park, which was located on Nantasket Beach in Hull. Like many oceanfront amusement areas, factors such as competition from more modern theme parks and the rising value of its beachfront property led to Paragon Park’s demise. (The value of the real estate on which Six Flags America sits surely factored into the company’s decision to shutter the park.) It permanently closed its gates in 1985. Growing up in the Boston area, I have many happy Paragon Park memories, including riding the Giant Coaster there.

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The venerable coaster was spared from the wrecking ball, however, when the owners of Wild World bought the ride, transplanted it to Maryland, restored it, and renamed it Wild One. According to B. Derek Shaw, an amusement park aficionado who writes about the industry and enjoys tracing its history, the park paid $26,000 for the Giant Coaster. But what did it buy, exactly? It’s likely that little, if any, of the actual wooden frame was salvageable and could have made the journey. “They got the trains, the motor, the lift chain, and most importantly, the blueprints,” Shaw told me when the coaster celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2017. “They preserved the spirit of the ride.”

In fact, the spirit may be all that endured from the earliest version of the ride. “I don’t believe that anything remains from the original 1917 coaster,” said Rick Howarth, who was president of Six Flags America during the ride’s centennial year. Everything may have been replaced at least once, but the coaster gave the same kind of ride that its creators intended and had an enduring appeal.

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The out-and-back coaster still climbed 98 feet, dropped 88 feet, and revved up to a potent 53 mph. And the ride still sent riders racing through a 540-degree helix for its grand finale. Shaw said that the Giant Coaster’s layout actually changed slightly when Paragon Park rebuilt it after a fire destroyed most of it in the 1930s.

Six Flags made a big deal out of the ride’s history when it turned 100. But prior to and after that, the park did not hype its background much. That’s because despite its age, Wild One compared favorably to other contemporary thrill rides. Casual visitors who didn’t know anything about its antique status enjoyed it for the same reasons that riders enjoyed it back in 1917.

“They really knew how to build them back then,” Shaw said. Wild One was not a relic to be admired simply for its history. “It’s a rough, tough ride that holds its own,” Shaw attested. “It has stood the test of time.”

But it may have run out of time. Will another park be interested in moving the venerable ride again? Wooden coasters are notoriously difficult to maintain. Wooden coasters that are more than 100 years old are surely even more difficult. I sincerely hope Six Flags will consider keeping its legacy alive at a different park in its chain. Or maybe a park outside the company, perhaps in another country, will resurrect it yet again.

If it is demolished along with the park, I’ll feel as if a part of my childhood will have been destroyed. Whenever I did get to ride Wild One, I reconnected, if only briefly, with the Giant Coaster and Paragon Park, a ride and a place that loomed large in my memory. It would be a loss for the industry as well. With Leap the Dips at Lakemont Park in Pennsylvania standing but not operating, Wild One was the oldest still-in-service roller coaster in the U.S and the third oldest in the world. Now the classic ride may be lost forever.

Did you ever get to hop aboard Wild One? Did you visit Paragon Park? Do you have a fondness for older rides?

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That being said, Six Flags Over Texas has a real humdinger coming to its midway that should generate some excitement in 2026. Tormenta Rampaging Run will be the world’s longest, fastest, and at a whopping 309 feet, tallest dive coaster. Let’s, er, dive into it.

First of all, let’s define what a dive coaster is for the uninitiated. Ride manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard introduced the concept in 1998 with Oblivion at Alton Towers in England. Extra-wide trains take passengers just beyond the precipice of a long, steep first drop and hold them in that dicey position for what seems like an eternity (but is really only a few nerve-wracking moments) before finally releasing them into a dive. Through the years, the drops have been getting longer and steeper. After climbing 309 feet, Tormenta Rampaging Run’s trains will plummet 285 feet at a hairy 95-degree angle (that’s beyond vertical, folks) and accelerate to 87 mph.

I’ve taken the dive on the current record-holder, Yukon Striker at Canada’s Wonderland near Toronto, which climbs 245 feet and hits 80 mph. Hanging at the top, my heart was pounding in anticipation of the ensuing madness, and the drop was sublimely stunning. It’s hard (but fun) to imagine how much more stunning and unsettling the Texas dive coaster will be by tacking on another 64 feet and revving up an additional 7 mph.

After the drop, Tormenta Rampaging Run will soar up into a 218-foot Immelmann roll. The inversion element, which is a staple on most B&M dive coasters, is named after a WWI pilot known for his stunt maneuvers. It begins by sending passengers into a vertical loop and then inverting them so that they head away from the loop. Being upside down 218 feet in the air–a record for an Immelmann roll–should be a heady heels-over-head experience. That will be followed by a 179-foot-tall vertical loop, which will be another world record. It’ll be 19 feet taller than the wowza loop on Full Throttle at Magic Mountain, and that one takes my breath away. After that, there’s a mid-course brake run followed by another drop (but without the hold-and-hang feature) and other elements along the 4,199-foot-long course.

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About the ride’s name: The coaster will be located in the Spain section of the the original Six Flags park in a new village the park is calling Rancho de la Tormenta. There will also be a new restaurant, Cocina Abuela. The “rampaging run” refers to Spain’s running of the bulls. That prompted People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to ask Six Flags to reconsider the name, saying it celebrates animal cruelty. Yeesh. Hey PETA, how about focusing your attention and energy on actual animal cruelty?

As for Six Flags’ claims that the new coaster will break six world records, they are all true. But some of the qualifications are dubious (as is often the case when parks breathlessly announce their new rides). For example, “highest 95-degree beyond vertical drop” is quite specific. Less in-the-know folks (not you or your fellow ATPers of course) might generalize the claims and infer that the new coaster will be the tallest and fastest coaster of any kind. Still, at 309 feet Tormenta Rampaging Run will be the world’s sixth tallest coaster, and its 87 mph speed will clock in as the tenth fastest coaster. And that’s no bull.

What’s your reaction to the new Six Flags coaster? Do you enjoy dive coasters?

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It begins by entering a small show building designed as a prehistoric car wash. After a brief encounter with lumbering animals that apparently power the auto cleaning business with their flatulence (!!), the train launches backwards and peters out on an incline. It then rolls forward, launches through the car wash scene into a series of twists and turns, and loses momentum as it climbs a spike. For its final act, the train rolls backwards and launches to retrace the entire circuit in reverse. After one more pass through the fart-filled car wash, Braus & Saus comes to a halt in the station.

Built by the German manufacturer, ART Engineering, the coaster appears to be engaging and accessible to a wide swath of visitors. Its height is listed as 62 feet, although I believe that is the tallest point of the spike, which the train doesn't actually reach. Its top speed is 31 mph. Potts park opened in 1969 and is geared to families with young children. It has four other coasters, all of which go easy on the thrills. The new Braus & Saus is the most aggressive of the bunch.

Malaysia’s Sunway Lagoon welcomed the Wild Chase Water Coaster to its midway. After a small first drop, single-car trains navigate a modest 984-foot, neon-green track and meander through some banked turns. For its finale, the cars drop into a “splash track,” a small pool that shoots sprays of water as passengers pass by.

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While its name designates the ride as a “water coaster” and Sunway Lagoon refers to it as Malaysia’s first hybrid water coaster, it’s something of a misnomer. In industry parlance, water coasters are typically found at water parks, such as Krakatau Aqua Coaster at Universal Orlando’s Volcano Bay. Rafts that are powered uphill by blasts of water or magnetic motors cruise through water-filled flumes. There are true hybrid rides, like Journey to Atlantis at SeaWorld Orlando, with vehicles that double as both coaster trains that travel on tracks and boats that float through flumes. But Wild Chase Water Coaster never travels through a channel of water. It doesn’t appear that the cars, which don’t create a plume of spray when they drop into the splash track, even touch the water.

The long-delayed ride first began construction in 2016. In addition to the amusement park, Sunway Lagoon offers a water park, a zoo, and X Park, which lets guests get behind the wheel of an all-terrain vehicle, go bungee jumping, and take aim at targets using paintball guns. It also rebrands the park as Captain Quack Land at night with a separate-admission ticket.

What is your favorite family coaster? Have you experienced any water coasters?

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4.25 (out of 5)

When the Cedar Fair folks (who are now part of the behemoth Six Flags company) bought Knott’s Berry Farm from the Knott family in the late 1990s, one of the first things they did was what they knew best: They built a kick-ass coaster. GhostRider combines the traditional charm of a woodie with the sensibility of a modern-day thrill machine. It also offers an airtime-filled, out-of-control (in a good, wooden coaster way), and exhilarating ride.

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The coaster will be the focal point of a new land, Valgard: Realm of the Vikings. (With the recent opening of How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk at Universal Epic Universe, Vikings seems to be having a theme park moment.) Paultons Park hasn’t released many details about Drakon. The coaster will be a “Euro-Fighter” from German ride manufacturer, Gerstlauer Amusement Rides. The model is known for its vertical lifts and beyond-vertical drops. They typically feature either one- or two-car trains.

Drakon will reportedly climb 76 feet and include two inversions–a first for the park. While it will be a custom layout, the ride will likely be similar to other Euro-Fighters, such as Vindfald at Tivoli Friheden in Denmark. That coaster climbs 76 feet as well. It drops 66 feet, reaches a top speed of 45 mph, and sends passengers upside down twice, once through a loop and once through a corkscrew.

In addition to the coaster, the park will be welcoming Vild Swing, a non-inverting swing ride from ART Engineering. An existing Gerstlauer coaster, Cobra, will be rethemed as Raven to conform to the land’s Viking theme. The park says there will also be a playground for kiddos and a dining hall. (Taking inspiration from Erik the Red and the gang, I’m guessing utensils could be optional at the eatery.) Paultons Park also teased that another major thrill ride, this one involving water, is in the works for 2027 in Valgard.

The family-owned park, which is obviously in expansion mode, recently revealed that it has plans to open a Scandinavian-style resort–which will presumably play off of the Vikings motif. Designed to welcome 700 guests, it will be the first overnight accommodations at Paultons. The resort will include a restaurant, meeting and conference facilities, and evening entertainment. No opening date was given.

This season, the park welcomed Ghostly Manor. The haunted attraction incorporates Mack Rides’ GamePlay Theater technology, in which ride vehicles travel on a continual loop, but can themselves rotate to face a variety of practical sets and screens. While the show building is relatively small, guests feel as if they are visiting a bunch of chambers in the spooky house. The interactive ride includes Phantom Blasters that passengers use to take out ghosts and score points.

In addition to rides, Paultons Park includes a zoo with exhibits such as a bug emporium, an aviary, and a collection of reptiles. There is also a Lost Kingdom with animatronic dinosaurs.

Have you been to Paultons Park? How about other parks in the UK?

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Keep in mind that I am talking about marginal differences here. The top three coasters in the state all merit five out of five stars in my estimation–and I rarely hand out five-star accolades. All six of the following rides are stupendous and belong on any park fan’s list. But only one can sit at the top of the list.

1. Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa
5 (out of 5 stars)

Yes, at 206 feet and 76 mph, Iron Gwazi is the tallest and fastest coaster in Florida. But it’s only a bit taller and faster than some of its competitors. Still, it is wildly thilling and delivers a relentlessly aggressive ride that just can’t be matched in the state. Iron Gwazi is decidedly not for the faint-hearted. Opened in 1999, it was originally known as Gwazi and was a twin-track wooden coaster. Busch Gardens shuttered it after it had become excessively rough. Later, makeover mavens Rocky Mountain Construction came to the rescue and gave the ride its patented “IBox” treatment. As part of the conversion to a hybrid wooden-steel coaster, the company significantly altered the layout, nearly doubling its height and making it a single-track experience. In typical RMC fashion, Gwazi went from nearly unrideable to the glass-smooth Iron Gwazi. It drops 206 feet at a beyond-vertical 91 degrees, is loaded with airtime of the hang-on-for-dear-life variety, tosses its riders around like hapless prey in the maw of a beast, and leaves me positively breathless. Like Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point, it is an RMC masterpiece.

2. Stardust Racers at Universal Epic Universe
5 (out of 5 stars)

A recent entry into Florida’s coaster-stakes, Stardust Racers immediately rocketed to, ahem, superstardom. Despite its comparatively tame 133-foot height and 62-mph top speed, the Mack Rides attraction nonetheless exerts freaky forces that leave riders giddy. The double-dose LSM launch that sends Stardust Racers soaring up the lift hill and into a heavenly burst of airtime sets the stage. The interplay between the two trains on the dual-track racing coaster is the best I’ve ever experienced. And a nighttime ride aboard the beautifully lit ride is sublime. Focusing on just the coaster thrills (which is how I am basing my rankings for the sake of this article), Iron Gwazi gets the ever-so-slight edge. Factoring in aesthetics, thematic elements, and storytelling, an argument could be made that Stardust Racers pulls ahead of the Busch Gardens ride.

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3. VelociCoaster at Islands of Adventure
5 (out of 5 stars)

Another launched coaster, this one from Intamin, VelociCoaster screams out of its fog-filled raptor paddock and never lets up. But its second act, in which a follow-up LSM launch gooses the train from 40 mph to 70 mph and catapults it up a 155-foot-tall top hat tower is where things really get dino-mite. After experiencing some heady airtime at the top of the tower, passengers invert over the entrance area of the attraction into a zero-G stall (in which the train hangs upside down as it races forward) that spans a harrowing 100 feet. For its finale, VelociCoaster delivers a barrel roll, dubbed a “mosasaurus roll” in homage to the Jurassic World dinosaur, mere inches above IOA’s lagoon. Again, based strictly on their coaster rides, I think Stardust Racers and Iron Gwazi are a tad–and we’re really talking about a tad–better. Considering its Jurassic World theme and its storytelling bells and whistles, the complete VelociCoaster package just may inch ahead of its Florida counterparts.

4. Mako at SeaWorld Orando
4.5 (out of 5 stars)

Mako is hypercoaster nirvana. The 200-foot-tall, 73-mph Bolliger & Mabillard apex predator is one swooping airtime hill after another. Unlike the more vigorous ejector air found on Iron Gwazi and, to a lesser extent, Stardust Racers, Mako delivers more graceful floater airtime in which passengers experience tummy-tickling butterflies as they rise out of their seats. SeaWorld has been moving away from its roots as a park that showcases marine life exhibits and shows to one that features roller coasters. Mako is the Florida park’s best ride.

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5. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot
4.75 (out of 5 stars)

Some of you are probably thinking, “Has Arthur lost a step or two in his advanced years?” How can I rate Mako 4.5 but rank it higher than Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which I rate 4.75? Hang on there bucko, and let me explain. As I’ve been stating throughout the article, I am ranking Florida’s best coasters in terms of the ride experiences they deliver. Given that criteria, Mako is a better coaster. When I initially reviewed Guardians, however, I was taking the entire attraction into account. Given its wonderful pre-show, stellar storytelling, and the stunning elements on display in its cavernous show building, this Imagineering triumph merits a higher overall rating. The launched Vekoma coaster (which uncorks a reverse launch no less) features unique “Omnicoaster” cars that can pivot 360 degrees. Guardians isn’t particularly tall or fast, but it offers a wholly satisfying, one-of-a-kind ride experience. And like the Omnimover ride vehicles which inspired them, the cars can turn and direct passengers’ attention to the myriad galactic mishegas taking place throughout the cosmos.

6. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Islands of Adventure
4.5 (out of 5 stars)

Along with VelociCoaster, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (also an Intamin ride) delivers a one-two punch of coaster greatness at Islands of Adventure. It features a total of seven launches, more than any other coaster in the land of Muggles, and is constantly catapulting its passengers on an intoxicating journey through the Forbidden Forest. There is a dead-end spike, a section of reverse-facing ride action, and (spoiler alert) a drop track moment. The family coaster tops out at 50 mph, but oh how it squeezes every last ounce of fun out of its fairly modest speed. Its unique car configuration–motorbikes with straddle seats are next to sidecars with more conventional (and lower-slung) seats–piles on to the fun. Again, like Guardians and VelociCoaster, Hagrid’s incorporates some wonderful storytelling with an elaborate queue, onboard audio, and immersive scenes filled with animatronics.

There you have it coaster nerds. I’ve taken a stab at sorting Florida’s rides in order of greatness. I know some (many? most? all?) of you will have differing opinions. So have at it, and let us know how you’d rank them.

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Do you love theme parks but want to steer clear of extreme G-forces, minimize topsy-turvy inversions, or otherwise forego major assaults on your vestibular system and your somewhat delicate constitution? What then might you do about Epic Universe’s four roller coasters? To ride or not to ride? If that is your question, I aim to help you answer it by deconstructing the attractions, rating their thrill quotients, and giving you the info you need so you will be able to make an informed decision.

Mine-Cart Madness
Thrill-ometer rating: 4 (out of 10)
Height requirement: 40 inches

There are no toned-down kiddie or junior coasters at the park (think Trolls Trollercoaster at DreamWorks Land in Universal Studios Florida). The mildest of Epic Universe’s four coasters, Mine-Cart Madness nonetheless packs a bit of a punch–and tosses in some psychological triggers to boot. Stats are not available for the ride, but I’d estimate that it climbs maybe 40 feet and hits a top speed of around 30 mph, which would place it on the low to midrange end of what is typically known as a family coaster. Mine-Cart Madness does not have any inversions and offers two moderate drops. It is, however, a tad rough and can jostle passengers more than its modest layout might suggest.

Located in Donkey Kong Country, an outpost of the park’s Super Nintendo World, Mine-Cart Madness simulates gaps in the track as depicted in the popular video game. It achieves this by using a design concept known as a cantilevered coaster or what Universal refers to as a boom coaster. The ride features a boom arm attached to a hidden track that allows the single-car trains to seemingly defy physics and logic on the ride’s mangled, apparent track. The boom arm configuration probably explains the instability of the cars and the rough ride. The apparent track layout, which constantly seems to be placing passengers in dire peril, can be unnerving. Without the wacky track or the rough ride, Mine-Cart Madness might rate a 3.5 on the thrill-ometer. Factoring them in, however, boosts the unique coaster’s rating to 4.

Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
Thrill-ometer rating: 4 (out of 10)
Height requirement: 40 inches

A delightful family coaster from Intamin, Hiccup’s Wing Gliders is considerably smoother than Mine-Cart Madness and doesn’t have any of its psychological gotchas. It nonetheless merits a 4 on the thrill-ometer scale because it includes two perky magnetic launches. It’s similar to Slinky Dog Dash at Disney’s Hollywood Studios but, in typical Universal fashion, it’s (slightly) taller and faster–and therefore more intense and thrilling–topping out somewhere around 50 feet in height and 45 mph. But not that intense and thrilling. There are no inversions; however there are some banked turns that might give some less intrepid folks a bit of pause–but only a bit. At the midway point, the train comes to a halt on an incline, rolls backwards, and pauses for the ride’s second launch.

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Curse of the Werewolf
Thrill-ometer rating: 4.25 (out of 10)
Height requirement: 40 inches

At 37 mph, Curse of the Werewolf is slower than Hiccup’s Wing Gliders and not especially tall, but it’s a skosh scarier because its cars spin. Depending on the weight distribution of the riders in the four-passengers cars, the horizontal spinning, which is random, can be fairly potent and therefore a mite disconcerting. By potent, I don’t necessarily mean that there would be constant spinning that might induce nausea–although I did emerge from one more aggressive ride a little dizzy. Rather, I mean that the positive G-forces caused by the spinning can feel a bit intense (not unlike the amusement park staple ride, the Tilt-A-Whirl). Keep in mind that it’s just as likely–if not more likely–that your spinning experience would be relatively tame. The more evenly distributed the weight of the passengers in the car, the less pronounced the spinning.

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Adding to its thrill-ometer rating, Curse of the Werewolf is also a launched ride. It includes a multi-pass launch element in which the train peters out on an incline, rolls backwards through a launch motor, stalls out again, rolls forward and launches again with enough oomph to continue the course. There is a brief encounter with a static Werewolf who lurks in the rafters of a barn through which the train passes. But he is not especially ominous and, depending on which way your car is facing, you may not even see him. The family coaster does not include any inversions or huge drops.

Stardust Racers
Thrill-ometer rating: 8 (out of 10)
Height requirement: 48 inches

Remember when I said that Universal isn’t shy about featuring Six Flags-level thrills in some of its attractions? Stardust Racers wouldn’t be out of place as a headliner on any Six Flags midway. It is quite intense, in the best sense of the descriptor as it applies to roller coasters. Here’s the thing, though: You might not think it would feel all that fierce based on its stats. But oh, it does.

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As I indicate in my (five-star) review of Stardust Racers, the negative G-forces–otherwise known as airtime–on this beast are abundant and surprisingly forceful given its relatively modest 133-foot-tall height and its 62-mph top speed. It starts off with an attention-grabbing double launch up a hill and never lets up until it returns to the station. As its name implies, the ride is a dual-track racing coaster, and the interplay between the dueling trains is inspired. Perhaps the highlight of the ride is what Universal calls the “Celestial Spin.” Both of the trains invert over one another (for the coaster’s sole inversion) in a delightful cosmic dance. There is a mid-course launch, big drops, overbanked turns, and plenty of other wild elements.

Yes, this extreme coaster pours on the thrills. But, since it is one of the most potent and satisfying coaster experiences I’ve had, I’d encourage you to consider sucking it up and giving it a go, even if you’re on the line.

Are you (or someone you know) a ride wimp? Do you fret over whether you should board coasters and other rides that might be too intense?

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In Greek mythology, a siren is notorious for its beautiful voice, singing an enchanting tune that often leads sailors to danger. With Siren’s Curse, the impressive, twisted red track and massive shipping crane tower invites guests to a unique roller coaster experience, minus the danger–or at least real danger. The apparent peril this contraption places riders in is a whole ‘nother story.

Siren’s Curse is Cedar Point’s 18th coaster, adding to its portfolio of record-breaking attractions and helping maintain its self-proclaimed title of “Roller Coaster Capital of the World.” While its stats might not seem impressive compared to nearby gargantuan coasters like Millennium Force and Top Thrill 2, it is North America’s first ride of its kind (and only the second in the world) and captures records for the continent’s tallest (160 feet), longest (2,966 feet) and fastest (58 mph) tilt coaster.

As guests approach a newly renovated area in the park sandwiched between the Cedar Point Marina and another nautically themed ride, Iron Dragon, the first thing they will undoubtedly notice is that there is a flat section of track at the end of the lift hill that does not lead to a first drop. Instead, in what seems ridiculous and impossible, the track comes to a sudden end. Yes, you read that correctly: The track ends, much like a cartoon that bends reality or a poorly designed ride in Roller Coaster Tycoon. This must be the danger that the siren has lured us to, and where riders will surely meet their demise.

From here, with the train at rest and safely parked, the section of track tilts a complete 90 degrees (imagine a seesaw suspended in midair and flipped vertically) and connects to the remaining circuit. After a short but agonizing pause, with riders facing straight toward the ground (similar to the dive coaster around the corner, Valravn), safety mechanisms release the train, allowing it to travel through a twisted jumble of red track.

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Once entering the ride queue, guests will notice elements indicating the attraction’s theme. Clayton Lawrence, Six Flags’ corporate creative producer, explains that The Erie Freight Company is located in an “abandoned shipping yard that’s been closed up. We kinda broke our way in, and when you’re in the queue, we wanted you to feel like it’s been abandoned, and that you’re the only ones.”

The creative team has gone to great lengths to make props and buildings that are brand new look old and rusted from the damp lake atmosphere. It’s not quite to the level of Disney or Universal, but for a regional Six Flags park creating a new story, it’s enough to elevate the guest experience while waiting in line. Splotches of paint, toppled barrels, shipping containers, and an old, abandoned gatehouse are scattered throughout the queue, giving soon-to-be-riders something to look at and talk about. Speakers feature a custom audio track.

“While you’re waiting in the line, be sure to listen to the background music because it helps reinforce our story,” Lawrence adds.

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As the anticipation builds inside the queue, guests will also notice that they are in the middle of the ride’s footprint and can see most of its 2,966 feet of red track and trains moving in every direction.

After zig-zagging through the line, riders must empty their pockets of everything, including phones, keys, and other loose articles that could fall out and become a safety issue, before they can climb the stairs leading to the station platform. This is not uncommon to see at Cedar Point, as guests are already required to pass through metal detectors on Top Thrill 2 and Steel Vengeance. Small lockers inside the queue for Siren’s Curse are available at no charge. For larger items such as purses or backpacks, guests are required to rent a locker outside the ride’s entrance.

The coaster trains for Siren’s Curse are sharp and sleek, featuring a black body with bright neon accents on the over-the-shoulder restraints. Embedded into the side of each of the six cars on the train are dynamic LED light strips, which pulse front to back in various colors and make for a spectacular show at night. This type of coaster light package is new to Cedar Point, and unique to Siren’s Curse. Watching roller coasters from the midway is always fun, but the lights add a new level of intrigue, especially at night when the trains are harder to follow as they fly around the track. Additionally, the Vekoma cars have speakers built into the headrests, providing passengers with a custom on-board audio track that supports the ride’s theme and layout.

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“Because we wrote a story, it allowed our sound designer to really go in and create sound effects and help reinforce our story with the audio,” says Lawrence.

Immediately after getting the “all clear” from the ride operators, the train inches forward and the onboard audio begins. Riders hear waves crashing as the train exits the station and quickly reaches the base of the 160-foot lift hill. The audio is crisp, and adds a complex layer of immersion to Cedar Point’s newest headliner. As the train ascends to the top of the hill, passengers begin to hear the beautiful voices of the sirens, whispering in their ears, “Come to us!” with playful, inviting laughter. At the crest of the hill, the train takes an immediate left turn, as the sirens taunt, “Your fate rests with us!” amid more giggling. Riders have the terrifying visual of the track coming to an abrupt end. This is when my anxiety began to rise precipitously. As the train is locked into place on the tilt track, there is more laughter from the sirens. “You have been lured by the siren’s call!” the voices sing out.

At this point there is no turning back, only tilting forward. My stomach clenched as I heard the safety systems clicking into place.

Dave Evans, director of construction and capital installation for Six Flags explains how the independent section of track, disconnected from the ride circuit on both ends, is able to tilt. “There is a claw on the back of the train that clamps onto the train itself, and there are redundant measures to hold that claw in place.” Sure, I think, but what if the claw fails? “On the front side there is a stop,” Evans continues, “That stop is not touching the train at all. It is a safety redundant stop.”

My brain knew I should trust the engineering, but it was terrifying and nail-biting nonetheless. The track rotates forward 90 degrees, providing riders in the front, middle and rear of the train a different feeling of either being lowered, twisted, or raised into position. It’s a hard sensation to describe, but it’s different from other vertical drops like those found on Steel Vengeance or Valravn. Once the tilt track has see-sawed into its final position, the train and the 24 souls on board are left facing straight down. My heart was pounding through my chest, and it seemed like we were hanging there forever. Suddenly, I noticed the tone of the sirens had changed. Their plan to lure us to danger had succeeded. “Prepare to meet your doom!” they shouted, an instant before the train dropped.

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From here, most of my first ride experience was a blur. The audio switched to fast-paced, heavy metal music which seemed to fit perfectly with how I felt twisting and turning through numerous and sudden changes of direction, including two inversions. Siren’s Curse maintains a terrific cadence and does not let up until it hits the final stretch of track before returning to the station.

That’s really what you want from a coaster: not good pacing but relentless pacing. With no mid-course brake run and no pause for passengers to catch their breath, “relentless” is an accurate description. With a comparatively small footprint and tight ride elements, Siren’s Curse feels faster than its 58-mph speed might suggest. It’s also more than just a wacky tilt concept.

“It’s a pretty cool drop, pretty cool tilt element, but with a very complete layout full of new-gen coaster elements, airtime, inversions, and big transitions,” says Ricardo Tonding Etges, Vekoma’s VP of sales and marketing for the Americas. “It’s a whole package here.”

On the two-minute journey, riders are exposed to two barrel roll inversions, banked turns, airtime hills, and a “triple-down,” an element where the ride track drops three consecutive times. After the triple-down, riders plunge into an underground, fog-filled tunnel, which is one of the few moments on the ride that actually has a straight piece of track. The smoothness of the ride, despite all the crazy maneuvers and relentless speed, really stood out to me.

Hitting the brake run, I finally had the chance to breathe. The on-board audio switched back to gentle waves crashing, and the sirens reverted to their happy chants, imploring, “Come back to us!”

With its anxiety-provoking tilt moment, Siren’s Curse begs the question: “Would you ride this?” Well, would you?

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5 (out of 5)

With the introduction of Universal Orlando’s new park, four more roller coasters have joined Florida’s considerable arsenal of thrill machines. The (shooting) star of the bunch is Stardust Racers. How good is it? It’s one of the rare coasters that merits a five-star rating from me. Let’s explore why.

Complementing the land in which it is located, Celestial Park, the trains on the elegant ride are themed as comets tearing across the sky. Stardust Racers is not as invested with story elements as Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and other more themed coasters, but it nonetheless tells a simple story of racing among the celestial stars.

“The Celestians, the residents of Celestial Park, have figured out a way to harness the comets in the night sky, jump on them, and ride them,” explains Jonathan “JC” Cloward, assistant director and executive producer at Universal Creative.

The station has an agreeable Victorian vibe with hints of Jules Verne. Mixing periods and sci-fi influences, there are flux capacitors mounted to the backs of the trains. It’s great to see Universal give a nod to the beloved Back to the Future series with the not-so-subtle Easter egg.

To prevent loose articles (or heaven forbid, intentional objects) from becoming projectiles, passengers are required to empty their pockets and pass through security detectors before boarding to certify they are missile-free. Universal offers complimentary lockers that work quite well using a nifty face recognition system. (No need to fumble with passes or remember pesky codes. If you forget the bank of lockers in which you stowed your stuff, the system will even direct you to the right station.)

I said that Epic Universe brings four additional coasters to the theme park capital of the world, but really it’s five. That’s because Stardust Racers, as its name implies, is a dueling coaster with two similar, but separate tracks. As guests snake through the queue, they can choose to make their way to either the yellow “Photon” track on the left side of the loading station or the green “Pulsar” track on the right. The Photon track has has an ever-so-slight edge on the thrill-ometer. But the Pulsar track has a great element that makes it just as compelling. More on that in a moment.

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Speaking of the thrill-ometer, Universal has never been shy about pushing some of its rides well beyond the “family” category (unlike its, er, more timid-as-a-mouse crosstown rival). Stardust Racers is an unapologetically extreme thrill coaster that wouldn’t be out of place at an iron park such as Six Flags. In fact, it punches well above its weight delivering a ride experience that is filled with freaky airtime and other powerful forces that seem impossible given its stats.

Rolling out of the station, the trains take a turn and hit the first set of magnetic motors for an initial straightaway launch that’s satisfying, but not crazy-fast. Just before they hit the first hill however, the LSM launch motors deliver a second burst of magnetic oomph that rocket the trains up and into a bout of ejector air that would catapult my toupee into the adjacent How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk land (if I wore a toupee). Yowsa, the negative-G forces are just wild.

Stardust Racers’ top speed is 62 mph. That’s fast, but not as fast as more potent launch coasters such as another Universal Orlando marquee ride, the 70-mph VelociCoaster. That Islands of Adventure coaster races up a 155-foot-tall top hat tower, compared to Stardust Racers’ more pipsqueak-sized 133-foot-tall hill. Nonetheless, the forces on the Epic Universe ride somehow feel more intense. Stardust Racers is less than 3 mph faster than TRON Lightcycle Run at the Magic Kingdom, but has far more zip-a-dee in its doo-dah. The inexplicable airtime is probably due to some combination of the second launch sendoff up the hill, the length of the hill, and the angle at which the trains crest the hill and go down the other side. Or, maybe Mack Rides, the coaster’s German manufacturer, used some kind of voodoo design and engineering. (Mack is just killing it lately, by the way.)

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The trains then navigate a series of smaller hills, all of which send passengers’ tushies flying out of the seats for what amounts to a glorious cavalcade of sweet, sweet airtime. For the ride’s second act, another set of magnetic motors goose the trains down another straightaway, after which they climb up, deliver a single inversion, and twist and dive through more airtime hills, over-banked turns, and other elements before landing back in the station.

If it was a single-track coaster, I’d give Stardust Racers a great review. But what really sends it into the five-star stratosphere is its twin-track dueling. I’ve been on a number of racing coasters; Stardust Racers is, hands down, the best I’ve experienced. Every time I rode it–and I got to board it many times–it launched and synced perfectly. Another coaster I greatly admire, Twisted Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain, promises a similar dueling adventure, but often launches haphazardly and misses the mark. Passengers on Stardust Racers, however, engage in a pas de deux that is simply sublime.

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Weaving and dancing back and forth, it’s a giddy two track trek through the cosmos. The highlight of the interplay is what Universal refers to as the “Celestial Spin.” It’s a stunning do-si-do in which the Photon train performs a barrel roll downdrop while the Pulsar train flips over for a brief zero-G roll. For the Pulsar inversion, passengers are racing forward while they are upside down and hanging just above their right-side-up, space trucking mates in the other train. It’s an extraordinary sight for the riders in both trains.

To review: Freaky and abundant airtime? Check. Unparalleled two-train dueling interactions? Check. There is one more thing Stardust Racers offers that helps make it a five-star coaster: nighttime rides.

Rather than flooding the course in lights, it is semi-dark. It’s therefore hard for passengers to anticipate what’s coming next and makes the twists, turns, drops, and especially the airtime hills all the more suspenseful. Onboard LED lights on the fronts and sides of the cars, however, shift color and shimmer as they hightail it through the course. From the ground, they look like shooting stars arcing through the night sky and are lovely to behold. But for Stardust Racers’ night riders, the opposing illuminated train, dashing in and out of view as it sprints in tandem, is mesmerizing. Hopping aboard the coaster after dark is a near-religious experience.

How much are you looking forward to riding Stardust Racers? What are your favorite racing coasters?

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I thought the park was fine and especially enjoyed Superman: Ride of Steel (which is not on the level of Intamin’s next evolution of the Superman hypercoaster at Six Flags New England, but still pretty wonderful), the wooden coaster, Roar, and The Wild One during my visits. That last one is a vintage wooden coaster that dates back to 1917 and is the oldest still-operating coaster in the U.S. It was transplanted from Paragon Park in Massachusetts. As a coaster fan and Boston-area native, I shudder to consider the fate of the beloved ride (and the park’s other coasters for that matter).

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The company has no intention of selling the park to another operator and will instead market the 500-acre property for redevelopment. So, bid adieu to roller coasters and get ready for what will likely be yet another nondescript condo project.

On a more positive note, Cedar Point reopened Top Thrill 2 when the park kicked off its new season this past weekend. The highly anticipated, but troubled ride operated for only eight days when it debuted last year. I was among the lucky few that got to experience Top Thrill 2, and I can assure you that it’s worth the wait.

One of the world’s hottest theme park markets is about to get even hotter. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates is already home to the world’s fastest roller coaster, the 149-mph Formula Rossa. Now comes word that the park, which pays homage to the legendary Italian automaker, will be adding another record-breaking ride to its lineup.

The “significant and signature ride in Ferrari World will have four records worldwide, and roller coaster fans will be very excited to hear that news soon,” teased Mohamed Al Zaabi, chief executive of Miral, the company that operates Yas Island. The theme park resort includes Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, and Yas Waterworld, along with the Ferrari park.

We will just have to wait for the details, but coaster fans can’t help but wonder what records the new ride will set. Will it be faster than Formula Rossa? Park operators in the Middle East seem to love claiming bragging rights, and the Miral folks are probably none too happy that it will lose the world’s fastest coaster crown to Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia, which will soon be opening the 155-mph Falcon’s Flight.

That ride will soar to a height of 640 feet, crushing the record for world’s tallest coaster. Might the new Ferrari World ride go even higher? According to respected industry expert Dennis Speigel of International Theme Park Services, a 1,000-foot-tall roller coaster is in development by an undisclosed manufacturer, and its location will be announced soon. Will Ferrari World be the location?

In addition to the new coaster, Al Zaabi says that two more “signature”attractions are on the way to the highly regarded Warner Bros. World as well as two new lands: the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and one featuring the DC Universe. 12 new slides and experiences are set to open at Yas Waterworld this year, representing the first phase of an expansion at the water park. A new SeaSub experience that recently opened at SeaWorld allows guests to explore the park’s massive aquarium in a submersible vehicle. The resort currently has eight hotels; there are plans to increase the number of rooms by “at least 30%” over the next five years according to Al Zaabi.

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The Miral executive says that all of the recent and planned development is necessary to accommodate the resort’s burgeoning crowds. Yas Island reported 38 million visits last year, an increase of 10%. The theme parks experienced a 20% attendance growth in 2024, breaking all records for the property, Al Zaabi says. International visitors to the Abu Dhabi parks increased by 40% last year.

As if all of this news isn’t eventful enough, there is some buzz swirling that Disney may be making an announcement soon about a project in the UAE, possibly at Yas Island. That would create quite a hubbub in the Middle East country.

What records do you think the Ferrari World coaster will break? Have you visited Yas Island? Might you want to plan a visit? What are your thoughts about Six Flags America closing?

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Okay, let’s get back to the business of our special About Theme Parks cabal and take a look at some new coasters rolling out in 2026. I also have news about a thrill machine that’s given its last ride. And it’s a doozie.

Indoor coasters coming to Legoland

Merlin Entertainments made a surprise announcement about two new indoor coasters that are set to debut next year at both Legoland Florida and Legoland California. Details are sparse, but the company did reveal that it is spending $90 million on the pair of rides. At $45 million apiece, that would seem to indicate that the themeing and storytelling elements will be fairly elaborate as the coasters themselves, which will surely be low profile to accommodate the parks’ target audience of families with children ages 2 to 12, shouldn’t cost anywhere near that much. Indeed, Merlin indicates that the capital outlay represents the largest investment ever in the two parks. Construction has already begun on the attractions.

“We hope the mystery and anticipation adds to awesome thrills to come,” teases Fiona Eastwood, Merlin Entertainments CEO. “These new coasters are unparalleled for Legoland Resorts, promising to elevate two of our premier Legoland Resorts to new heights, utilizing the latest technology and embracing the Lego DNA, as only we can do.”

Reportedly, the attractions will have a Lego Galaxy theme and will blast guests into space. It sounds like the coasters could be taking at least some inspiration from Space Mountain. This wouldn’t be the first time that Legoland has featured sophisticated dark rides. Guests at its three U.S. parks can become ninjas-in-training aboard the clever, interactive attraction, Lego Ninjago The Ride. Legoland New York also offers the Lego Factory Adventure Ride, which turns passengers aboard trackless vehicles into Minifigures.

Ride with Naruto

Speaking of ninjas, Parc Spirou Provence in France has announced that it will be opening a land in 2026 themed to Naruto, an anime series about a young martial arts warrior. The headlining attraction will be a family thrill launch coaster from Italian ride manufacturer Zamperla. The ride will incorporate a tire-propelled launch to accelerate the trains to 47 mph. Passengers will climb a 103-foot dead-end spike and drop backwards for some reverse-facing action.

The 3.7-acre land will also include a Zampela NebulaZ, a spinning flat ride that’s a bit like a Ferris wheel gone bonkers. The mesmerizing ride is as much fun to watch as it is to ride.

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Kryptonite finally fells Superman

Six Flags Magic Mountain in California has announced that the problem-plagued Superman: Escape from Krypton will not reopen this year–or ever. It had been standing but not operating since last fall and experienced long periods of downtime over its 28-year history. When it debuted in 1997, the 415-foot-tall ride was the tallest coaster in the world and one of only two to reach the 100-mph threshold. The similar Tower of Terror, which opened a couple of months before Superman at Dreamworld in Australia, also hit the triple-digit mark. That ride closed in 2019. Both coasters were manufactured by Intamin.

The magnetically launched shuttle coaster blasted forward and straight up an L-shaped spike tower track where it slowed to a halt while delivering massive amounts of free-floating airtime. It then plummeted straight down. While Superman elicited off-the-chart pre-ride jitters and was undeniably thrilling, I found it to be oddly underwhelming. The record-setting Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom drop tower ride, which shares Superman’s tower, will continue operating according to the park.

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With the loss of the ride, Six Flags Magic Mountain, which has long held the crown for the park with the most number of roller coasters, now shares the title with Poland’s Energylandia. Both parks have 19 coasters on their midways. The Six Flags park has announced that it will be adding a new coaster in 2026. Coming on the heels of Kingda Ka closing, Superman’s demise further scrambles the record books for the world’s fastest and tallest coasters. The records will be shattered, however, when Falcon’s Flight opens at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia later this year.

In addition to comments, let’s try something a little different with a poll for paid subscribers.

Were you able to hitch a ride with Superman at Magic Mountain? Do you have younger children who would want to check out Legoland’s new coasters?

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Last year I journeyed to Lake Compounce in Connecticut to see what all the fuss was about with two different, fairly new approaches to wooden track replacement: The Gravity Group installed its precut vertical wooden track on the park’s nearly 100-year-old woodie, Wildcat, and Skyline Attractions, in partnership with Great Coasters International, switched out some of Boulder Dash’s offending wooden track sections with its all-steel Titan Track. I was happy to report that, in both cases, the rides were remarkably improved.

I’m equally happy to share that the remedial track surgery has continued in the off-season, and both coasters will feature additional replacement track when guests visit this year. The Gravity Group is finishing up its three-year restoration project on Wildcat, while Skyline and GCI are installing 200 feet of Titan Track on Boulder Dash, following the more than 800 feet of new track they added over the past two years.

Other coasters getting Titan Track this year include Prowler at Words of Fun in Missouri, Boss at Six Flags St. Louis, Wodan at Europa-Park in Germany, and Kingdom Coaster at Dutch Wonderland in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, The Gravity Group has been busy installing its engineered precut track on 10 additional rides for this season, including the twin track Racer 75 at Kings Dominion in Virginia, The Raven and The Voyage at Holiday World in Indiana, and the Mighty Canadian Mine Buster at Canada’s Wonderland near Toronto.

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The legendary The Beast at Kings Island in Ohio is also getting 1,600 feet of new precut track from The Gravity Group this season. While that may sound like a lot of track (and it is), the project represents only about 22% of The Beast’s course, which at 7,361 feet is the world’s longest wooden coaster.

Tremors, a wooden coaster at Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho, is getting some attention as well. Rocky Mountain Construction offers a third type of ride remediation, 208 ReTrack, which is a steel replacement track based on its revolutionary I-Box track. The company has been trading out sections of Tremors over the past couple of years and is continuing to make improvements this season.

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The Great White, a classic out-and-back wooden coaster at Morey’s Piers on the Jersey Shore, isn’t getting new track. But it is on track to receive new Millennium Flyer trains from Great Coasters International. The articulated design of the chassis will allow the trains to better navigate twists and turns and should yield a more stable and comfortable ride.

It’s not a wooden coaster, but the former Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion has a snazzy new look with orange track and black supports as well as a new name: Pantherian. The big cat theme conforms to the Jungle X-Pedition land in which the ride is located. The ride was temporarily renamed “Project 305” last year when the licensing rights lapsed to use the nickname of the late NASCAR star, Dale Earnhardt, who was known as “The Intimidator.”

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4.5 (out of 5)

I believe I’ve discovered the secret to time travel: magnets.

No, I haven’t unlocked the time-space continuum. But I have concluded that magnets play a key role in the operation of Time Traveler, Silver Dollar City’s impressive roller coaster. The Branson, Missouri theme park has a real winner with its $26-million ride. But it also has something of an image problem with the coaster—a problem that I aim to help dispel.

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They aren’t necessarily the “best” rides, but they are the ones that invariably make me grin from ear-to-ear (unless I’m screaming) and provide an extra jolt of elation. In the fitful throes of winter, these are the coasters I dream about riding when warmer weather returns. Of course, my list, like any fan’s compendium, is completely subjective. And, although I’ve visited lots of parks, there are many parks and coasters that I’ve yet to experience and render an opinion about. Most of my park journeys have been based in North America; all of my favorite coasters are on the continent. I used to distinguish between steel and wooden coasters and maintained two separate lists, but since Rocky Mountain Construction muddied the taxonomy with its hybrid wooden and steel rides, I now lump them all together. As new rides are introduced and existing ones age–sometimes not gracefully–my list evolves. The following, therefore, is a snapshot in time.

Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa and Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point

Speaking of Rocky Mountain Construction, the two coasters at the top of my list are hybrid rides from the innovative manufacturer. They both began life as pure wooden coasters built by other companies, but RMC traded out their timber for its steel IBox tracks and radically redesigned their layouts. For example, the ride surgeons made them considerably taller and as a result, faster, and added inversions. Their stats are comparable, with both rising about 200 feet and hitting around 75 mph. With a track length of 5,740 feet and a ride duration of 2:30, Steel Vengeance is much longer and includes four inversions, two more than its Florida counterpart. But the more compact Iron Gwazi is wildly intense and delivers a bigger bang for my buck. They are both loaded with airtime and are incredibly exhilarating. For this RMC one-two punch of my favorite coasters, I give the ever-so-slight edge to Iron Gwazi.

Superman the Ride at Six Flags New England

Except for my college years in Connecticut, I’ve lived in Massachusetts my entire life, and I fully cop to the plea that my number three pick is largely parochial and a matter of hometown pride. Still, Superman the Ride is one heckuva hypercoaster. Rising 208 feet and dropping 221 feet into an underground fog-enshrouded tunnel, it hits an intense 77 mph. Emerging from the tunnel and climbing a huge hill, Supes delivers a huge pop of airtime–the first of many to follow. The Intamin ride’s note-perfect layout offers a stunning symphony of elements, and its location alongside the Connecticut River adds to its ambiance. Some 25 years after Superman debuted, it still soars with a ferocity that’s tempered with surprisingly smooth grace.

Jurassic World VelociCoaster at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure

As a pure ride, VelociCoaster is tremendous. Its initial magnetic launch revs its trains from 0 to 50 mph in two seconds flat. A second launch gooses the speed to 70 mph and sends passengers racing up a 155-foot top hat followed by a 100-foot-long zero-G stall just above the park’s midway. A final barrel roll mere inches over IOA’s lagoon feels both glorious and menacing. But with Universal Creative’s inspired Jurassic World storytelling layered on top of the ride experience, VelociCoaster emerges as one of parkdom’s greatest coaster-based E-Ticket attractions.

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Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland

Superman’s stats are quite imposing, but with a 306-foot drop and a top speed of 92 mph, Leviathan is something else altogether. Currently the fifth fastest coaster in the world, nothing can quite prepare you for its first drop. There’s intense, and then there’s the extreme in-your-face, eyes-bulging, heart-racing ferocity that this monster unleashes. When I braved Leviathan, it was a seasonably chilly spring day at the Canadian park. Layering 92 mph on top of the nippy temperatures yielded a wind chill factor of brrrrrr. In addition to the insane speed, I thought my face was going to freeze and fall off. With its enormous pent-up energy, the B&M ride then mercilessly swooped, banked, and tore my frozen face and me across the park.

The Voyage at Holiday World

With The Raven and The Legend, Indiana’s Holiday World had already demonstrated that it knew a thing or two about wooden coasters. Then it introduced The Voyage and took woodies to the next level. Climbing a 163-foot lift hill and hitting 67 mph at a hairy 66 degrees, the ferocious ride gets down to business right away. The Thanksgiving-themed coaster never lets up as it meanders through the woods and dodges in an out of underground tunnels, including one “triple-down” dive into the inky blackness that, for me, is its highlight.

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Full Throttle at Six Flags Magic Mountain

It rarely, if ever, appears on fans’ best-of lists, but for me, Full Throttle is one of the most unique and satisfying coasters out there. A full-throated magnetic launch immediately catapults passengers at 70 mph up and into a massive, 160-foot-tall, 127-foot-diameter loop. The Premier Rides coaster is precisely engineered so that the trains slow to a crawl at the apex of the loop, leaving riders hanging upside down for what seems like forever high above the park. Did I mention that there are no over-the-shoulder restraints and that passengers are somehow tethered to this contraption with a single lap bar? Halfway through the ride, the train comes to a halt in a tunnel and gets launched backwards. Stalling, it falls forward and gets a launched a final time to navigate the 160-foot-tall loop again, this time right-side-up on the outside of the element.

Thunderhead at Dollywood

I had tackled Thunderhead a few times during previous visits to Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountains park, and thought it was fine, if a bit rough. Then I took a nighttime ride on the wooden coaster when I returned in late 2023 and was stunned to discover how well it was running after it had been extensively re-tracked. The Great Coasters International midway marvel still delivered a an out-of-control, rough-and-tumble ride that is the hallmark of woodies, but it was otherwise delightfully smooth and positively loaded with euphoric airtime.

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Time Traveler at Silver Dollar City

Another wildly unique coaster (it’s amazing to me how designers continuously develop new innovations using the basic premise of trains riding rails), Time Traveler was the first to feature Mack Rides’ clever controlled spin feature. Instead of the madly gyrating, sometimes nausea-inducing lateral turns that conventional spinning coasters deliver, the cars on the Silver Dollar City ride are subtly braked to deliver thrills without the protein spills. The trains leave the elevated station and immediately plummet 100 feet straight down into a holler at the mountainous park. Inversions, launches, and other coaster mayhem ensue. All the while, the cars randomly, but gently spin giving a wacky, disorienting, one-of-a-kind ride experience.

Jack Rabbit at Kennywood

Yup, nostalgia has something to do with why Jack Rabbit shows up on my favorite coasters list. But it’s not the only reason. The relatively modest wooden coaster may have opened in 1920, but it still delivers an unexpectedly potent, wholly relevant ride for 21st-century park fans. It climbs a mere 40 feet, but drops 70 feet into one of the ravines at the classic trolley park. And not just any drop, but a delightful, double-dip drop. Kennywood lovingly maintains Jack Rabbit (as well as its two other adored, antique wooden coasters), allowing guests to engage in a grand tradition that has spanned over 100 years.

Share your reactions (agreements? disagreements? surprises? incredulity?) to my coaster picks. What are your favorite coasters?

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4.25 (out of 5)

Rounding a corner at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, there she is standing regally in front of her own marquee thrill ride, Wonder Woman: Golden Lasso Coaster. Disregard the fact that the ride is literally in the shadow of the park’s towering Superman: Krypton Coaster. Golden Lasso may be comparatively small, but like its namesake heroine, it packs a mighty punch.

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